Traveling for food is a new passion point with global travelers on the move. In a hats off gesture to the kings and queens of cuisine around the world who inspire us to eat with adventure no matter where we are, TravelSquire brings you CHEF TALK, sponsored by Le Cordon Bleu.
Meet JULIE CHOI, Proprietor of The Woo in Manhattan’s Soho Neighborhood
Julie Choi grew up in her mother’s Soho restaurant, scooping rice at just four years old, her first “job”. Her background includes earning Le Grand Diplôme from Le Cordon Bleu, London and an International Hospitality Management degree from Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne in Switzerland.
She now operates the The Woo and Bann, a premier modern Korean restaurant with a storied history dating back through three generations of female owners. Helmed by her along with Executive Chef Eli Martinez, she aims to reinvent her mother’s restaurant with a focus on the tastes of Korean cuisine using the highest quality ingredients and prepared in a refined and creative way. Her goal is to expand New Yorkers’ knowledge of Korean dining.
What is your favorite dish that you learned to make at Le Cordon Bleu?
My favorite thing I learned to make was puff pastry. So much effort, such a lengthy process but you can’t beat the results of homemade pastry dough. It also makes you appreciate pre-made frozen puff pastry. But like all things we learned at school, understanding the fundamentals and traditional methods helped me find ways where we can incorporate our own twists to modern interpretations.
Did you have a memorable culinary experience in London where you studied that you can share? Or where you live now in New York?
What do culinary students do on their days off from school? Cook more, of course! A small get together one Sunday turned into a regular Sunday tradition where different groups of people would cook traditional foods from their respective cultures. It was great tasting all the international foods prepared by people who are passionate about food.
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Where can someone find a dish or dining experience similar to what you were taught at Le Cordon Bleu?
Here in downtown New York where we’re based, we are right across from Dominque Ansel Bakery and it is so French. It’s beautiful looking at all the colorful and decorative desserts and it reminds me of the patisserie classes at Le Cordon Bleu.
What country would you choose right now for a great culinary experience?
Korea. I was born in the states but have been raised eating traditional Korean foods. Only in the last few years has Korean cuisine started adapting modern techniques and changing flavors into a refined style of dining. I would love to see what the top restaurants in Korea are putting out now.
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What is your favorite international food?
Chinese. There’s so much variety in flavors and cooking methods, ingredients, preparation, etc. It can be refined or made at a stall, it’s just so diverse.